Massive Brush Fire Erupts Near Reagan Library In Simi Valley, Thousands Ordered To Evacuate – CBS Los Angeles


Massive Brush Fire Erupts Near Reagan Library In Simi Valley, Thousands Ordered To Evacuate – CBS Los Angeles

SIMI VALLEY (CBSLA) – A massive brush fire broke out in Simi Valley and Moorpark Wednesday morning, threatening thousands of homes and forcing major evacuations, including the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

The Easy Fire burns in Simi Valley, Calif. Oct. 30, 2019. (CBS2)

The Easy Fire exploded to at least 200 acres within the first hour, spurred on amid extreme red flag conditions and powerful Santa Ana winds just after 6 a.m. in the area of the 118 Freeway and Madera Road. The fire was burning along the Tierra Rejada Road corridor.

“Right now we have all of our crews and engine companies that will be down of Tierra Rejada,” Ventura County Fire Capt. Dan Arnold told CBS2. “We have homes that are directly impacted that are requiring immediate structure defense.”

The Easy Fire burns near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. (CBS2)

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the area bordered by 118 Freeway to the north, Madera Road to the south, the 23 Freeway to the west and Madera Road to the east. Algonquin, Jerimiah, Stargaze, Siskin and Mandan roads were being evacuated.

The Reagan library, the largest presidential library in the nation, and everything around it had been evacuated as of 7:45 a.m.

(CBS2)

“We’ve evacuated everybody from the library and all the structures down below,” Arnold said.

The 23 Freeway was shut down between Avenida de los Arboles and Los Angeles Ave.

The Simi Valley Unified School District was closing all schools Wednesday and Moorpark College was canceling all its classes.

Moorpark Road was closed at at Tierra Rejada Road and Santa Rosa was closed at Moorpark Road. All residents in the 190 block of Tierra Rejada Road should shelter in place until further notice.

An evacuation center was set up at Thousand Oaks Community Center.

The Easy Fire evacuation zone. Oct. 30, 2019. (CBS2)

 


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